William Cratsenberg, one of the earliest settlers of Richland county, was born in Lewis county, town of Denmark, State of New York, in August, 1821. His father, Nicholas Cratsenberg, was a native of Montgomery county, York State, and one of the early settlers of Lewis county. The subject of this sketch was here brought up, receiving a liberal education in the public schools. When quite young he commenced to work in his father's tannery, learned that trade, and a few years later the trade of boot and shoe making. He was married in 1843 to Catherine Rich, also a native of Lewis county, where he purchased a farm of 100 acres, and engaged in dairying. In 1851 he sold out and started west to seek a home. He came on the lakes to Milwaukee, and then with one horse and a wagon started for Richland county, coming directly to the town now known as Ithaca, and entered land on Willow creek, on section 18, where he commenced building a log house. He harvested wheat on the shares and that same fall had to haul his grain to Iowa county to find a mill for grinding. The following spring moved into his new house, and raised his first crop of corn in 1852. In the fall of this year (1852) he went to mill at Black Earth, Dane county. The year following he sold this place and moved to Sextonville, where he purchased town property and engaged in the boot and shoe trade. Two years afterward he purchased the tavern well known as The Ark, conducting the same until 1858, then sold out and bought timber land on section 28, town of Henrietta; here he built a log house and stables and immediately commenced to clear a farm. In 1880 his stables were struck by lightning and destroyed, together with stock and farming utensils. The frame house in which he now lives was built in 1879. His first wife died in February, 1849, leaving two children --- Deett and Dowite. His second wife, to whom he was married April 10, 1851, was Louisa Burdick, a native of Lincoln, Chenango Co., NY, born June 15, 1827. By this union there were five children --- Nicholas Leroy, Celinda E, James B, Adam A J and Eugene S. Mr. Cratsenberg assisted in the organization of the town of Ithaca, and proposed the name which it still bears.

History of Crawford and Richland Counties, Wisconsin - Union Publishing Company - Springfield, IL - 1884